Swelling after hydrocelectomy

I’m 5 & 1/2 days post op now.

If you’re concern is “swelling” the 2nd comment to this thread I started might be of interest to you.  Let’s just say there are 3 types of “swelling”, and I outlined them in that comment.

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/hydrocele-lessons-learned-progress-of-2nd-surgery-676286

Not certain if you ever did the “flashlight” trick with your hydrocele, but it’s a crude method of performing an ultrasound or X-Ray to “see” fluid; i.e., a hydrocele.  Basically, if you put a flashlight up to your pre-op hydrocele, it would have lite up like a lighted globe as light easily passes through the hydrocele fluid & the dark object is your teste.  Long story short, your swelling now is not fluid (or similar to pre-op), it’s blood clots, etc.  Run the “flashlight” trick, and your scrotum won’t lite up... as there’s a mass that will take time to breakdown. 

I tried the flashlight trick last night and could not see through the testicle at all.

I had a followup with the doctor two weeks ago (four weeks after my surgery) and she basically just said this swelling is expected. It hasn't grown at all in the last four weeks but I don't think it has shrunk either. The size it is at now would be livable for me, at the worst pre-surgery the scrotum was visibly very large, but right now it appears normal size it is just the testicle that is bigger.

How was the pain in the weeks following your operation and are you able to carry out general physical activity now 4 weeks post operation. From my understanding it can take up to 6 months for the swelling to fully dissipate. Although I’m concerned that over that 6 months period discomfort would still be a major factor. For example lying down on a surfboard I’d imagine to be unbearable. I’m glad to hear your recovery is going well. 

I took it pretty easy for the first week and then started being more physically active. Over labor day weekend (less than 2 weeks after my surgery) I did too much and had pain during the night that I used ice and ibuprofen to deal with.

I was sent home with a painkiller but never used them, so for me recover was pretty good.

I wore a jockstrap for a month but I probably could have just done that for 2-3 weeks.

My current swelling is not even uncomfortable, I just know it's there so when I think about it it bugs me.

You requested I reply, I tend to agree with all PatsFan7 says.

I'm now 4+ weeks post-op on my right side, 2 years on my left side.  I'd say my right side is between 125-150% of normal.  My left side is "normal" IMHO - something I don't even notice any more.

As written in my linked post above, I put myself through a much different recovery treatment this time around.  And I have to say it was successful - only once hitting my post-op testicle in an unwanted (and painful) way as opposed to tens of times on my left side post-op.

My only issue this round... there is much more discomfort at the scrotum incision itself.  It is almost as though there are still internal stitches that have not dissolved yet and it holds the testicle & scrotum together at that place.  It's slightly concerning to me, but when I compare to my left side, it will "drop" or "hang" lower over time.

As far as surfing, I wouldn't worry too much.  I was on my motorcycle after 2 weeks without issue.  I also cross my legs a lot - as opposed to "manspreading" - and do not feel any pain or discomfort from my testicle itself.  I've also been up & down ladders for at least 3 weeks and been active without issue.

As far as going with the surgery or not... I would, and have - twice now.  Having a scrotum that was growing & got to the size of an orange was not doing any good for my mental wellbeing.  After left side surgery (that went well), as soon as I started noticing my right side growing, it started being a negative focal point for me, but I knew what to do to stop it, so it was not a question that I would have surgery as soon as I could instead of waiting for it to get the size of an orange.

The sooner you get it taken care of, the sooner you can move on with your life.

I just wanted to say it's been about 11-12 weeks since my surgery and my testicle size is completely back to normal. I've actually been meaning to post this for a few weeks so I would say it took about 8 weeks until I felt like the testicle I had surgery on was the same size as the other. There is hope! Don't freak out too early, give it time!

Do NOT do it. As a 24 year old male who did not think of the consequences, I urge you to hold out as long as you possibly can. I can only speak for myself but since my operation about 4 months ago, my erections and ejaculatory power have gradually decreased and by that I mean that when I cum it no longer shoots out but just dribbles out - very unsatisfying. It's almost impossible for me to get a proper erection currently and throughout the day my penis is shrunken like a bullet (as if i'm on ecstasy - I assure you i am not) I have lost my morning erections entirely and I am convinced my penis is shrinking as a result of this. My gp gave me viagra (still waiting to see my urologist again) and it has had no effect on me. I have always suffered with mild anxiety but now I am an emotional wreck. I never thought that this could happen to me. I used to have a very good penis and now I honestly cannot forgive myself for having this operation. I urge you, please do not have the operation. Your testicle will swell up after surgery and it never returns to its normal size. This is because they remove a functioning part of the genitals: The Tunica Vaginalis - it essentially cushions your testicle, without it your testicle hardens to adapt to its new environment. They say this part of the body plays no role in my symptoms but it absolutely does. Don't do it necause even after surgery, it will never be even. And did they mention that they stitch your testicle to the wall of the scrotum. Obviously we all have different bodies and immune systems but for me personally, I feel like i have ruined a perfectly good part of my body for no good reason. Hydroceles are more common than you think. Also from what you tell me about your previous operation, it seems any operation down below that you don't NEED is gonna cause problems. it's also so sensitive and complex.

I think for the most part these procedures go well you just read more about the ones that go wrong because people flock to the internet for information to see if people have had a similarly bad experience. Mine was about the size of a large chicken egg now it's about the size of a golf ball after 3 surgeries even though 2 of them were probably unnecessary from what my new urologist has told me. They tell you right off the bat in may stay a bit bigger but it's hard to tell how big till the procedure is done because everyone's body reacts differently. My penis has stayed the same size I am on testosterone though(not sure if that would even make a differnce)because my free test was low when I was tested but I also am 41 and had to have my left testicle removed when I was 13. I have severe depression and anxiety as well I thought I was going to be alone for the rest of my life after this happened , I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror. How we I met someone who didn't care about any of that and accepted me for me even though I was f'd up. Only you can decide whats best for you though do the pros outweigh the cons? In my case yes because it was twice the size it was now when I had the hydrocele and I could feel the fluid moving around which was very uncomfortable. I would definitely do it again faced with the same scenario.

Personally, I think you are way overthinking things here.  The TV does not provide cushioning, it is a thin membrane (no different than a ballon) that allows for a very thin layer of fluid to reduce friction around the testicle as the scrotal muscles adjust to regulate temperatures of the testicles.  Sperm don't like high temps, plain and simple.

The TV is little different than the pleura in your  abdominal cavity.  If that were to fill-up, like what happens with a hydrocele, it would cause more negative impacts than positive.

As per this article, an excess of 25mL of peritoneal fluid is an issue... and this is for the entire abdominal cavity.  I recall having 100mL aspirated from my left hydrocele alone!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascites

And no offense to you, but there is no biological factor which would result in "shrinking penis".  If I rip off my fingernails, do my fingers grow or shrink?  No.  I hope your Viagara works for you, but TBH you would unlikely have half these issues if you simply stopped over&micro-analyzing this all.

I agree with Jekyl. I don't know your personal situation beyond what you've said here but I think you're attributing a lot of issues to your surgery when they are probably unrelated and more mental than anything. I would encourage you to speak with your urologist again (as you have planned) and a therapist.

I would personally recommend the surgery to people, especially when one side becomes large enough that it can become awkward to sit, or if you're just thinking about it constantly. Of course there are risks you should speak to your doctor about, but mental health is very important and if your mental health degrades as the hydrocele grows (as mine did), then it needs to be addressed.

No offence taken and I do severely hope that this is all psychological, however my lack of morning wood for the past few months is still very worrying. At first I shrugged it off as my body needing more time to heal but now that my wound has actually healed rather spectacularly, the pain and swelling is pretty much non existant (minus the occasional very mild aching), I can't shake the negative thoughts. I don't know if any of you have ever experienced erectile dysfunction for such a long period of time but I can assure you if there is one thing that will send a man into deep depression it is ED.

I can find no information that states that a psychological problem can really stop you from achieving an erection while in deep REM sleep, at least not for such a prolonged period of time. I woke up again this morning with no morning wood whatsoever. My gp has advised me to start taking 25mg of viagra daily to see if this helps, 3 days in and i'm noticing nothing. I would love to believe it is all in my head but not even spooning my girlfriend will give me a boner - this is unprecedented for me hahaha. I still have 2 months to wait to see my urologist.

I can only speak for my myself and it is great to see that most of you do not suffer with this exact problem. I do see that a lot of you have ended up needing multiple surgeries though. That is definitely something to consider before having the operation.

Jekyl, I appreciate your comment although I do think your fingernail analogy is a little irrelevant. We are not talking about fingernails. Let me explain why I think my penis is shrinking. I attribute the so called shrinking to my lack of erections for months now. How can a penis keep its shape and strength if it literally has not had an erection for months? Can we all agree that a flaccid penis can vary in size throughout a day depending on different factors such as temperature, alcohol or even over-masturbation - I would liken it to being as if i had had about 15 wanks in a day and my penis just needs a break (i'm sure some of you must know what i'm getting at. I'm not suggesting that my penis is literally doing the opposite of growing but rather it's just stuck in that smaller, tighter state it can sometimes be in) Regardless of whether the cause of my apparent penile shrinkage is psychological or physiological, I notice that JJF20162017, you have actually already mentioned that you have had these exact thoughts before as a result from a different op down below. This makes me think that you may be prone to these kind of thoughts after this operation too. It is definitely something to consider because as we can see, psychological or not, it happens to some of us post op and it isn't pleasant. Perhaps I had an underlying problem that is becoming more apparent since the operation. I will have to wait and see.

I'm not trying to scare anyone for no good reason, but I was asked for my opinion and so I am just telling you all how my experience is going. I guess i'm one of the unlucky ones. Considering how much this is affecting me, I feel I have to give people every last detail if I could potentially save others from going through what I am.

With all that being said, I do apologise if I have brought too much negativity to this page. All of your positive stories do give me hope and I very much appreciate all of your advice. I'm not here to make anyone paranoid - I know that can have have a really bad impact on people so I really am sorry for that. Of course I would love it if my erections do return and I will absolutely share that side of the story when it does happen, but for now this is all i've experienced.

One last thing actually. I don't know how much was drained from mine but I do know it wasn't a gigantic one. It was an annoyance and something I was somewhat ashamed/embarrassed of. I will change my advice to this: If your hydrocele is not causing discomfort and is not too big then you really have no need to remove it. Also if you overanalyse things in the same way that I do, surgery may not be the answer. My urologist is actually against the procedure and had previously warned me not to get the op until after I have kids because these kind of operations have the potential to cause infertility but I was convinced that I couldn't live with it any longer. I didn't realise infertility would be a result of ED.. I'm sorry to put a downer on things. I am aware that I am just one end of the spectrum and a lot of you seem happy with your outcome so that's also worth noting for anyone considering this operation.

Anyway I think I have just shared the entire contents of my mind and possibly over analysed yet again, consider me done here until I see my urologist!

Have you had your testosterone levels checked? And dont worry about "negativity" being brought to this page people that visit here for info/advice need to hear the good and the bad when it comes to this subject. I will say though I think a lot of your issue is anxiety over all this you would be surpised what it can do to your body. I've suffered from sever anxiety for years and it's f'd me up in all sorts of ways.

I agree with Patsfan7 again... anxiety is a huge part of lack of arousal. I’ve not stressed myself in the least bit this round, of course that was going off a successful operation 2 years ago.

you did mention above that they sew the TV to the side of the scrotum, and I would concur with that, albeit I think it is more to the top of the teste although post op it seems like its on the scrotum.  At about 5 weeks, my internal stitches have dissolved and my teste has dropped.  Like the Chinese name joke, it is again Hung Far Lo!  :D

My only issue now... I have stitches hanging out of the incision and my surgeon is out of country for a week.  I would snip them myself, but it’s where he tied the knots... and I don’t think I can get “below” that so they would just retract in and dissolve internally.

I do not recall any discussion/mention of muscles in a penis from biology classes, but I do recall the 3 chambers that fill with blood referred to as “Mr. Happy”.  Arousal/errection is all linked to nitric oxides in the blood and if I’m not mistaken they affect constriction of blood vessels generally in the body and specifically with a penis.  Cigarette smoking upsets this in the body, hence the anti-smoking ads showing an embarassed guy and disappointed women in bed.  So my suspiscion is, nitric oxide when released from the brain during arousal dialates the incoming vessels to a penis and constricts the outgoing vessels... hence the 3 chambers fill and “penis strength” is a result of elevated pressure (blood) within, not muscles.  Some ED meds work by stimulating the body to release nitric oxides, causing vessels to constrict or dialate in the body (which is not a good thing elsewhere, hence all the warnings).

If you’re happy with the physical aspects of the surgery... healing, less discomfort, embarassment, etc... I’d just say, put it out of your thoughts so much and all should go back to normal in short order.  Stressing over it is your worst enemy right now.  Heck, some of us are twice your age and dream back to the days (or mornings) that we woke up every day with morning wood!  :D